9mm, and what the heck is wrong with me?

This is a discussion on 9mm, and what the heck is wrong with me? within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by SteveStealth
Big and Slow, ***, are you kidding me! Tell that to all the guys who carried the .45 in battle. Wow, ...

Big and Slow, ***, are you kidding me! Tell that to all the guys who carried the .45 in battle. Wow, first time I ever heard someone say that!

Umm, it is big and slow.

Let's compare it to 9mm NATO and 5.56 NATO...

.45 ACP

Diameter - 0.452"

Velocity (230 gr.) - 850 fps

9mm NATO

Diameter - 0.356"

Velocity (124 gr. NATO) - 1,200 fps

5.56 NATO

Diameter - 0.224"

Velocity (M855) - 3,100 fps

So, we have a naturally subsonic round that is a tenth of an inch larger in diameter and 350 fps slower than a 9mm, and twice the size and nearly 4x slower than the standard 5.56. Definitely seems big and slow to me.

Nothing wrong with a decent 9mm defensive round! The 9mm has been used by the military, police and private citizens for years now. Gotta respect it! Course, I also respect .22, ,25, .38, 40, etc. Buy a modern round and shoot what you shoot best! Oh yeah and enjoy!

I just purchased probably the 9th or 10th 9mm handgun I've owned over the last 15 years. I'm a 45 guy at heart, but truly compact 45s are not easy to find nor inexpensive. Each time I have chosen to buy a 9mm, I feel like I just bought a weak round. I look at the ammo, and it looks anemic. I have looked at tons of research that tells me that a well selected 9mm round will do the job, penetrating and dumping energy into a bad guy just like a 45. I almost feel like I let myself down.

Here is what really confuses me about myself... I do not feel that way about a 38 Special or a 380 ACP.

Am I just nuts?

My new pistol is a Kel Tec PF9. It shoots well, and is plenty small. It seems to like PDX1 124 grain +P. Maybe if I refer to it as a 355 Auto, I will like it better...

Anyone else have an unfounded aversion to a round? Keep in mind, UNFOUNDED.

I think that's not an uncommon feeling but at the same time is untrue that a round smaller than another is therefore "weak". The teller is always: what is best for YOU with one principle in mind: shot placement and ease of fast repeated shots; that will trump for you use of bigger round that makes those difficult. I have both a 45 and 357 Colt Python - but I carry either a snub 38 or a Beretta 92FS 9mm, the latter because that gun is astonishing in accuracy and low recoil meaning repeated shots on target are easy. The 45 and 357 for ME do not as easily allow that even after much practice - so, I trust that gun and the Colt Detective 38 - a GREAT gun - to use well under dire conditions. Your gun is never just a gun, it's YOU + THE GUN. And so, you choose the best pairing.

Big and Slow, ***, are you kidding me! Tell that to all the guys who carried the .45 in battle. Wow, first time I ever heard someone say that!

No Steve I'm not kidding you. I will tell it to all the guys who carried it in battle. If this is the first time you have heard this then you need to get out more.

I'm not bad mouthing .45 I just don't like it for me. I'm no more than a average 9mm guy. What my favorite and what the majority of my pistols are chambered for is 357Sig. Kind of in the middle, and really fast.

For my purposes, I prefer 9mm for compact carry guns due to the higher capacity and easier recoil compared to .45 and .40 (respectively). If I'm going to carry a larger gun, .45 makes sense. I like the idea of 10+ rounds on tap.

The 9mm is comparable to the 38spl. I think the main difference in my mind is the ability of the revolver to shoot heavier hardcast bullets for a little more oomph. But the 9mm is to be respected. It has good power and is chambered for guns with a 2 or 3 to 1 capacity over revolvers in the 38. If you like the 380, you should really like the 9mm.

Sometimes things just get in our heads. For me, it is that I cannot bring myself to purchase any gun but the 1911 to fire the 45acp. Go figure.

You feel that way because people in this country have brain washed americans into believing this nonsense about the 9mm. The 38 special and the 380 are not even close to the energy from the 9mm. So if a 40 has 400 foot pounds of energy and a 9mm has the same the only difference is one milimeter and weight. Get a 9mm bullet head and a 40 and place then end to end not much in the way of different size there, but we are lead to believe by gun rags and net sites that one is mighty and the other is weak. Out off all these sites most have never used their round of choice inself defense. I work with a retired NYPD officer from the sixties who shot and dropped a perp with a 38 special 158 round nose, no problem because he hit him in the right spot, Game over.
The 38 special with 200 or 250 ft pounds has killed many people even with round nose lead. You know that, if you ever used the 9mm and dropped someone in their tracks you would never give that gun away ever. Take deer rifles I use to think the 30-30 was like the 9mm is to you. I thought I needed this 30-06 or bigger to drop deer until the day I shot one and it went down like a rock with this punny weak 30-30. Hit them where it counts and you have nothing to worry about. You have to place the round where it counts no matter what caliber it is, because if you don't ALL will fail. Handguns are a means of getting you to a shotgun or rifle.

Outside of crew served weapons one shot cannot be counted on to stop an opponent. Even then the offending individual may get multiple rounds because of the rate of fire of said weapons. Handguns are for the unexpected fight, airstrikes are for the ones we know are coming. All kidding aside get what you can easily carry and go with it. I chose the Glock 36 because I prefer the .45 not that I ever felt unarmed with a 9mm.

Glock 36, 30SF, 31, 32, 21 Gen4 - Carry guns
Ruger Mini-14 and Remington 870 by the bed both wearing Surefire lights.
Always carry a knife-they are handy to have
Always carry a reload-You probably won't need it but it is good insurance .
Always carry a light- To see in the dark

I just purchased probably the 9th or 10th 9mm handgun I've owned over the last 15 years. I'm a 45 guy at heart, but truly compact 45s are not easy to find nor inexpensive. Each time I have chosen to buy a 9mm, I feel like I just bought a weak round. I look at the ammo, and it looks anemic. I have looked at tons of research that tells me that a well selected 9mm round will do the job, penetrating and dumping energy into a bad guy just like a 45. I almost feel like I let myself down.

Here is what really confuses me about myself... I do not feel that way about a 38 Special or a 380 ACP.

Am I just nuts?

My new pistol is a Kel Tec PF9. It shoots well, and is plenty small. It seems to like PDX1 124 grain +P. Maybe if I refer to it as a 355 Auto, I will like it better...

Anyone else have an unfounded aversion to a round? Keep in mind, UNFOUNDED.

It is simple you want a 45 and keep settled the fact you settled does not sit well with you. Like wanting a Harley and settling for a Honda. The Honda is ok but you aint going to be .
happy.
I have a few of each I chose to carry a 9mm as you said right round CC up close it will do the job. If I were 6 foot 3 and 250 plus pounds I might find a place to hide my 45 but I am not so the 9mm gets the job.

For my purposes, I prefer 9mm for compact carry guns due to the higher capacity and easier recoil compared to .45 and .40 (respectively). If I'm going to carry a larger gun, .45 makes sense. I like the idea of 10+ rounds on tap.

Not to argue just shed some light My Para 45 1911 SF doable stack is easier to fire than my LC9 or My SR9C less felt recoil ect. to darn big for me to CC for the most part
So I carry the 9mm's

Try to remember that a .380 or subcompact 9mm in hand has an infinitely greater effectiveness and stopping power in a sudden defensive situation than a .40, .45ACP, .45 Colt, .44 mag, .454 Casull or .500 S&W that are at home or out in the car.

.......care to explain that? I will say upfront I am not a .380 fan, never will, never have seen a reason to carry it. But I do not disparge people who do, what ever somebody wants. I carry .45 primary and Khar 9mm as back up or clothing dependent. So much for the disclaimer! Now, please explain your rationale behind that statement.

.......care to explain that? I will say upfront I am not a .380 fan, never will, never have seen a reason to carry it. But I do not disparge people who do, what ever somebody wants. I carry .45 primary and Khar 9mm as back up or clothing dependent. So much for the disclaimer! Now, please explain your rationale behind that statement.

We'll give you the chance to re-read his post before the pouncing begins